> I'm no fan of organized religon, but in the > John Hopkins (University) Medical Letter, > a sidebar listing "Longevity Facts" states:>>>"Your faith may heal you. Research shows that people >who practice organized religion have a lower incidence >of depression and suicide, substance abuse, and even >hearth disease. They also seem to cope better with life->threatening illness and recover from sickness and injury >faster than those who are not religiously committed."

I don't doubt it. Prayer seems to be a placebo of sorts: if a
person believes strongly enough that there is "someone" sharing his load
and guiding his life, there is less need for all the other escapes like
suicide and substance abuse, and less reason for depression. To a strongly
religious person, God is the highest form of love and caring... stay in
God's favor and no "earthly" ails or ills will ever harm you.

The problem, of course, (as has been discussed many times before on
this list) is that blind faith simply does not hold up. The utter
disregard for reason and ignorance of fact forms only a lifelong delusional
state --one shared by billions of people around the world. The crux is, I
suppose, that yes, your faith *may* heal you...but at what cost?